Games with Mother Meixiang - A Simple Request

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

A gentle hum of a melody left the tall woman lips as she laid cards on the table. This lobby was immaculate she had to admit. Beautiful and simple, comforting even with the already comforting air of this solid afterlife. Why was she here? Did she had nowhere else to be? Perhaps her room. Perhaps the pool? Options abounded and yet she chose to return to the lobby and place her card down. Every single card carved of bone made a gentle click as she set them down and traced fingers along every crack and writing. Elements, ancient words that often meant so much and yet as little as she made them. She stared at the off-white surfaces of the card. It was amazing they held together with all they had been through. Were these really her cards? Or were they something else? She didn't know anymore and truthfully it hurt the silkworm to think about. Death was such a complicated subject, more complicated than the changing of nations...at least to her. How many people had she deceived with these cards? How many had she saved? Memories clung to the old bones just as she did. How sad....

She pursed her lips and picked them up again and with slender fingers began to shuffle them about one after the other and place them down again. Nothing....but of course. She was alone there. She did not need cards to read her own fortune, or more. She knew too much of herself. The truth was that...Mother's mind was racing and she desperately needed a distraction. She desperately needed to think of something different. She needed to play around. She was good at playing around, she was good at weaving, she was good at many a thing but she was never so good at not pondering. How that damn habit had led her here without those she knew....and with only thoughts.

Her melody stopped for a moment before she began a new song and sung to herself while she began to play with her card to distract herself. Small games but what she really wanted was another person. She wanted to read them....or to fool them. She might have been dead but her habits sure wouldn't die! She just didn't want to focus on things at that moment but what she wanted to focus on so she just remained there by her lonesome. A silkworm with her cards. 

Now if she could....who would want to play a game? She was sure she could think of a nice reward if they did....or get one if they were unlucky.

[LEROZERO]

Alais had just been given her key, a long metal shaft in the shape of a blade leading to the teeth of the key, each shaped like an iron spike of some sort. The bow, or handle, of the key looks like an ore that has been heated until red and smoking, though not single bit of smoke or heat emanated from it in the slightest. Alais now is just walking the halls of this...hotel, analyzing each decorative piece of furniture or potted plant, and passing by a seemongly endless amount of doors. Each one had its own number, some were single digits, but there was one that had the number 3,232,456 on it....Yeesh. Hope the hotel doesn't have shared restrooms...

Alais was still getting used to her situation, only just coming to terms with the fact that she apparently wasn't among the living anymore. Why everybody seemed to be from different time periods was still to be answered... Plus, how did she die? Hard to tell. If only that damn headache wouldn't happen each time she tried to remember...

Huh. In her time zoning out, it seems she has walked herself into a new room. A very large, new room. Comfy looking armchairs, a long couch that seemed to be like the ones most nobles had, and...that Mother lady. Her back was turned to Alais and she seemed to be humming a very beautiful faint tune, nothing like she has heard, honestly... Finally, after listening further, she walked around the couch to meet Mother's gaze.

"H-Hi, sorry for not making myself known, but...I was just listening to you hum." Alais chuckles slightly before nervously sitting down beside her. "What, uhh...What are you playing?"

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

Cutting the cards again Mother began a new game, shifting the bones along her fingers with a practiced focus and skill. She only paused slightly as she heard the sound of hooves clicking across the floors around the couch. Her golden eyes gently shifted in their sockets up towards a somewhat familiar face and settled right onto Alais. No surprise, but a warmth as her lips spread into a gentle smile. She did not stop shifting the cards in her hands as she tilted her her slightly as she spoke. Nervous? Mother did not interrupt or even shift slightly as her new guest joined her on the long couch. She chuckled "I am glad you liked my humming Miss Alais perhaps you won't mind if I sing for you another time. Do not worry about not announcing your presence I do quite enjoy surprises." nodding to her new companion "You're a very welcomed one. Have you settled into your room?" she asked as she turned to the cards in her hands.

"Tiān zhī ēnhuì or Heaven's Favor in your language. Its a social game and quite simple. We often make bets on it." and quite revealing if played well though that part she kept to herself. She finally stopped shuffling the cards and began to lay them out. The faces were marked by Chinese symbols as well as dots. Not quite the french suits most people were familiar with. She gently laid out the cards as she focused on them "One player assumes the role of an emperor while the other players take the role of those below them. They all start with 12 cards but the emperor with 24. The goal is for the players to obtain all five elements in their hands, or for the emperor to eliminate 'rebels'. The emperor lays down a mandate using an element, and the players respond with counter elements and intention but they can use cards of the same element and work together to intensify their intentions while the emperor can play elements in cycle to counter. Winning intention gets the cards though divided if they worked together." she chuckled though she realized her companion probably didn't much care about this one. She let out a small wistful laugh "Ah...my followers did love playing this game. Its more like a puzzle game by yourself."

She looked to Alais and observed her. She was cute. She hadn't encountered many Satyrs before truthfully so knew only sparse legends about them. They weren't so pleasant but she couldn't imagine this one was as Vicious as the ones the westerners told her about. Mother only smiled "How would you like to play a game with me? It doesn't have to be this of course but I think I would appreciate the company. Anything you know I can do though I don't have french suites." she said. She figured that they could both use the distraction and a little entertainment. No doubt Alais was still coming to terms with her death. 

[LEROZERO]

Alais sat on the long and fancy couch, digging her rear into the cushion and avoiding putting too much weight on her tail. When she was a kid, she'd sometimes accidently sit against a hard chair and hurt her tail, making her lower back hurt for the next hour or two.... Alais quickly began putting her full attention towards Mother and the odd card game she was playing, each card looking as if it weren't made of the usual paper that most others were. "Ah, I would like that.... It sounds pretty!" She said with a large smile towards Mother. This woman had a certain air around her that Alais couldn't quite understand. It wasn't like Ari's pheromones, but it is still quite alluring despite how much she seems to enjoy smoking...

The name of the card game had Alais' head spinning as she tried to repeat it, just sticking with her language after being unable to properly replicate the sounds Mother made. Before she could say anything, however, Mother began explaining the rule of this...somewhat complicated card game. Alais couldn't understand a lick of it all and it made her head spin again... Elements? Counter elements? Eliminate rebels...? What the hell...  She would definitely need to get Mother to just teach her as they go on. "You...You bet on this? Huh... Well, I am not one to back down from a good duel, whether it be with swords, hammers, or cards!" 

"I guess you choose what we bet! I don't have any cash on me, and I doubt we use the same cash, what with the whole-" Alais gestured to Mother's outfit that is clearly nothing like what she has seen before. "Also, forgive me, but I don't know if I'll be any good at this. I am more of a... 21 BlackJack person." It was always fun when Alais was left on the edge of her seat from the fear and adrenaline of not knowing what card is next, her fate resting in the hands of Tyche.

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

Mother chuckled with Alais's statement "Pretty? Oh I would adore having such a complement dear. I do hope it sounds as pretty as you imagine when the time comes." gesturing to her in what sounded like genuine thanks as her eyes did not leave the beautiful creature sitting next to her. She could see that she was confusing the poor girl but her spirit definitely had Mother's interest. She laughed "Oh? A warrior then? I've known many warriors in my days." she said is that what she was? She wasn't too sure but she had no reason to doubt it. That one Miu girl definitely had more of a wild flair to her form but this one? It was difficult to place. She did imagine she dealt greatly with Earth in some way. She gently picked up the cards and began to shuffle them. It sounded like she had the companionship she was searching for.

She would gently let out a breath of air, no whistle but her breath carried a small hint of the sweet smell she had enjoyed in her room. Fine quality stuff this hotel provided. Memories on air.....a sweet thing but it didn't smell too unpleasant Mother hoped. She smiled "Indeed. From where do you hail if I may ask?" she wondered figuring she could get the answer to her question in that event. They all looked to be from places and times disparate and distant. Mother Meixiang was Chinese, but the gentleman was perhaps a...brit? Miu was a neighbor in a sense and as was their beautiful host. She could not place Alais. She had worldly knowledge but times had long changed and she was truthfully not sure from whence everyone came. Time, to her, was just a thing. She knew it and spoke to it but it was not so important. Blink...and a thousand years pass. Yawn and there is a thousand more.

"Oh do not worry, I believe you may adapt but if you would prefer....I do also know that game." she said and began to pass out the cards. Face down so as not to reveal their hands. She tilted her head to the side, staring at the table a bit and then Alais "Well should you win Mother can give you an outfit of silk finer than you could ever imagine, jewelry that would drive a king mad with envy, I could read your fortune, or I could give you....something else." a seductive edge to her voice.

"Should I win? I would ask you for a kiss of my choosing. I am quite old Miss Alais. Riches are fine, but I do find affection to be finer." she admitted.

[LEROZERO]

Alais chuckled and shook her head a bit, waving slightly and blushing from being confused for a warrior. "O-Oh, no no! I just liked to spar with some friends to test blades and we would sometimes try and have a blacksmith "duel". She paused. "We would just see who can make the best sword..." Alais would've just trailed off about her life before...her demise, but they were about to play a game and she would rather not spend an hour or two talking off Mother's ears. Plus, Alais was actually somewhat interested in this game, even if she didn't quite understand a single symbol on the cards or even just how to pronounce the name. 

"Hm?...Oh, my home? Ελλάδα! A beautiful place with plenty of islands and mountains covering the land!" Alais remembers sailing from island to island in order to sale her works, though she normally stuck to the main land because sharks didn't have a preference on meat. "Δεκάρα..." She cursed under her breath after picturing the gaping maw of a hungry shark. Ελλάδα had some beautiful art and lots of amazing pottery, but never once had Alais seen anything like the patterns on Mother's outfit. Most of the stuff in Ελλάδα depicted stories though...

As she passed out the card Alais could feel her chest getting tight, a common pain before any game with some stakes, whether minor or major... After hearing what she'd be offered, she nodded and smirked. "All of those sound nice-..." Blush spread across her face as she heard what she'd have to give if she lost, a kiss of some sort. The way she didn't specify where, how long, or even how intense she'd need to be was irking Alais. "I-I see...I can do that!" She chuckled and spoke a bit softer, trying not to seem desperate. "Oh." Alais realized that she never did pick up her cards, leaning over and holding them with the back towards Mother. 

Yep. She doesn't understand anything.

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

"Ah, a blacksmith." that did answer that as well as answer why she looked quite strong even if she was not a warrior. Mother listened to her reminisce for a moment. She understood it entirely and so reach over to gently take her hand gently to let her know such. If she wished to spread then Mother was all ears. She had nothing but time after all but they did have a game to play. Perhaps it was a tale for later when they knew each other better yes? It did not matter to her when, but a much more mortal creature such as Alais still needed time. That sadness however....as she knew that feeling well. She did feel as though they were kin if only for that. Such a simple thing. Such a sad thing. Oh well...a game would take their mind off such things.

Now it was Mother's time to be confused....at least for a moment. She had no idea what she had just said but she did recognize something about it. The white-haired woman scrunched her eyes in confusion as she pondered over it before something did come to her. It had been a long time truthfully, but the words she spoke sounded familiar to a language spoke by...
"Dàyuān? You're Greek then yes?" she hadn't really conversed much with the Greeks but she had encountered them during the War of the Heavenly Chariots. It wasn't a pleasant interaction but their relations with Greece had improved since then. She had just never really had an opportunity to visit herself but rather received many gifts of items from the place. Still, Mother smiled at her "That...is something our homes have in common." she said.

Mother was much more confident but even so she wouldn't totally take advantage as her companion seemed eager to play, or nervous. She chuckled finding the display rather adorable "I will be gentle." she told her and picked up her cards to play. She did keep her word, holding back to give her companion time to figure things out if by example. Mother's scenarios ranged from simple things like taxes to war but on occasion she'd drum up a little something spicy to see Alais's reaction to it. Small sexual decrees to counter or allow to pass with perhaps more detail than was really necessary to paint the picture. She seemed to lack any shame doing so, breathing it out in sultry and knowing tones as her eyes focused upon Alais....and she would thus ct as though nothing had taken place. It seemed Mother had an ability to switch between a mature matron with all the grace in the world and a sly seductress bent on toying with her prey. She was being...gentle in a way.

She ended up winning and so placed the cards down and gently gathered them up "You did quite well Miss Alais. Hǎo yàng de!" she congratulated "I would like to play again if you re up for it but first I did win." it as perhaps unfair so Mother intended to keep it light and she gently leaned forward and beckoned with a long finger for Alais to come closer. It was time for that kiss.